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Columnist Juca Kfouri dances on the grave of a perpetual Rei Momo of Brazilian soccer.

Ricardo Teixeira is history.

Sergeant Garcia finally arrested Zorro

Brazil, and not just football, has good reason for celebration.

Teixeira is leaving not only the governing CBF but also, and more importantly, the World Cup local organizing body.

Maybe now we can dream of a more transparent Cup. This adds up to a clear victory for the federal government of Dilma Rousseff.

As to Brazilian football, it must be stated once again that the problem is structural in nature. The identity of whoever takes over from Teixeira will matter not at all; it will be six of one and half a dozen of another.

Teixeira, according to Wikipedia PT-Br,

took over as president of the Brazilian Football Federation, the CBF, in 1989, succeeding Octávio Pinto Guimarães, after defeating then-vice president Nabi Abi Chedid in an election. He found the organization barely capable of sustaining the cost of maintaining the team that would represent Brazil in the 1990 World Cup.

Teixeira’s term of office was marred by scandal, such as accusations of nepotism in the naming of CBF officials; payment for travel by judges and other officials to foreign World Cup host countries; the irregular importation of equipment for his beer business, El Turf, in Rio de Janeiro, after the World Cup of 1994; entering into contracts disadvantageous to Brazilian football, notably a contract with Nike; concealing monthly income on tax returns for 1991, 1992 and 1993;and concealing income from his two ranches, Santa Rosa I e II, in the Rio de Janeiro city of Piraí.

Teixeira also provided funding for the political campaigns of sports executives, Também deu dinheiro da CBF para campanhas políticas de dirigentes esportivos, in the hope of building a lobby in the national congress, … to defend his own interests — to remain as CBF president and to quash corruption investigations. He succeeded, ensure his reelection in four consecutive elections.

In 1998, he found himself targeted by congressional probes, but, with the help of his faithful supporters, managed to escape all charges. He testified in two congressional probes, including the CBF-Nike investigation.

In 2000, Ricardo Teixeira testified before the Congressional Commission of Inquiry into Brazilian football. Prior to 1996, the CBF had been a profitable enterprise. In that year, it signed a US$ 160 million contract with Nike and began recording losses year after year. The CBF then took out loans from dubious sources, paying soaring interest rates amounting in some cases to 43%. A series of businesses belonging to Teixeira and accomplices were tied to irregular transactions. He told the CPI he had made the money investing in the currency markets, despite the fact that early in his career he had failed at this kind of investing. Also interrogated by congressmembers were Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Eurico Miranda, and businessman J.Hawilla. The federal tax authority fined the CBF R$14 million for unpaid taxes.

During the CPI into the CBF-Nike deal, based on testimony from Zagallo, João Havelange and star forward Ronaldo, Ricardo Teixeira was accused by current Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo of workiing to undermine the CPIs and joining forces with Pelé, who before had accused him of corruption.

Carta Capital says the departure of Teixeira brings «good news and bad news for football lovers».